Harry Potter and the Child of Wars Past
by Gerard E. Manning
Summary: Harry Potter enters his third year in standard fashion, blowing up his Aunt, running away from home and even attacked by Dementors on the Express. Harry doesn't believe it can get anymore surprising until Dumbledore makes a startling announcement before the feast, turning the entire Wizarding world upside down. Rating will be Mature and a new character will be added into canon.
1. Chapter 1 A Transfer Student

Harry and Hermione had just taken their seats, when Dumbledore stood to make his pre-feast announcement. Harry struggled to follow most of what he was telling the crowd about the Dementors and about Sirius Black, as he had heard everything from Fudge, but the weariness betrayed by his tired eyes began to make him wander in and out of focus. He started suddenly when Hermione nudged him forcefully in the ribs, nodding he head towards the head table when he swung his head around for an explanation.

"My next announcement is one I take great pride in," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he took in the face of every child, "this year we have a transfer student into the third year."

Harry caught up in the mumbling as the crowd almost missed the doors creaking open to reveal a figure, their face hidden by a large hooded cloak, their clothes a fitted suit and waistcoat, all in black with a small gold chain running to their pocket and Harry assumed in must be a pocket watch. They strode to the front seeming no less confidant than on a walk to class, taking only a short time to get in front of Dumbledore's podium, where they stopped and Harry saw Professor McGonagall rushing from the sidelines with the sorting hat.

"Please," asked Dumbledore, gesturing at the figure to remove their hood and turn around.

The figure did as was bade and through Harry's confusion he heard shocked gasps and a few screams from some students. The boy's face was pale, not in a sickly way but in the way that never sees sunlight, hair even brighter than Malfoy's pulled back from his shoulder with an elegant leather strap, Harry also noted the large ring on his right hand when the hood was removed but even that fell to the wayside when he saw his eyes.

Heterochromatic.

On his right a pale blue eye but the left was a dark black, almost sinister in the way it hid his iris, and both eyes were scanning the crowd, darting back and forth.

"May I introduce you to your new classmate, Gerhard Grindelwald," came the blithe voice from its podium.

It took only a moments silence before the entire hall erupted into chaos, shouting and screaming, people yelling back and forth, many simply pointing at the young boy and demanding he be locked up and it wasn't long before many started drawing their wands. Harry's own blood had gone cold at the news, he remembered so long ago now it seemed that one of Dumbledore's many claims to fame was his defeat of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, he had even seen his photo in a book.

The boy in front of everyone was the spitting image.

"First Sirius Black and now the nutbag child of wizards Hitler," Ron said darkly, shaking his head, "blimey mate you've got no luck."

"This has to be a mistake," Hermione said somewhat shrilly, "Dumbledore would never let someone like that into the school, it must be another family."

Harry shook his head, as he turned back to where the students had begun surging forward, even many from the Slytherin table were standing up the demand retribution.

"Not a chance Hermione," said Ron, dragging Harry's attention back, "Grindelwald in one of the most ancient names of a sole European magical family, hell it's older than the sacred 28."

'What?" he asked when Hermione and Harry stared at him dumbfounded, "hello I'm a pureblood, they do teach you some things you know jeez."

They all suddenly pressed their hands to their ears, when an almighty roar from Dumbledore's voice echoed around the vast hall, grinding everyone to a halt in an instant.

"Sit down at once, all of you," cried McGonagall before ushering the unfazed boy the stool she had set out.

"Now just sit here and allow me to place the hat on your head," she said, after he was seated and after getting a curt nod, she placed it upon his head.

Harry could see the hat come to life and begin its ponderings and unable to hear the hat's thoughts he was suddenly hyper aware of the lack of breathing in the hall, the baited breath and the still burning anger coursing through the student's blood.

And finally, after an age it said a single word.

"Gryffindor."

Harry slumped into bed, calmed by the sounds on Ron's loud snores and stared up into the roof of his bed, pondering everything that happened. The sorting was a disaster, the table of Lions almost having a riot started before McGonagall had swooped in and given everyone yelling a weeks' worth of detentions and stunned everybody by her impassioned speech about how disappointed she was by her Lions unwelcoming attitude. Harry groaned and turned to his side, trying to ignore the very obviously drawn curtains to one of the beds, where the new Gryffindor himself lay, trying to understand what had been going through the Headmasters mind. The grandson of the most vicious and coldblooded dark wizard in all of modern history, a death toll and wave of destruction so vast it made Voldemort seem like a child playing make believe.

Hermione did not know what to think as both a witch and muggle-born. On the one hand it was difficult to associate the studious young man who had taken up a small place in the library with what she had read about his Grandfather but as a muggle-born the way Grindelwald senior had spoken about them being nothing more than cattle was galling.

Gerhard was quite possibly the quietest person she had ever met, his presence flew under every radar she had, he took up the rear positions in class and was the first to leave, professors never called in him to answer question and also didn't seem to apply any kind of deadline with homework. She only remembered he was there when she heard the grumbling of people whispering non too quietly about him ranging from 'scum roaming the halls,' and 'embarrassment to Hogwarts," and some even going as far to write their parents to complain.

"If my being here is disrupting your work, I'll leave," a soft voice spoke, tearing her from her thoughts.

Hermione noticed that she had slid out from behind the bookcase she was hiding and now Gerhard was looking right at her, his mismatched eyes boring deeply into her own, she felt her palms go sweaty and tried to discreetly rub them on her robes and every thought on how to respond was dripping out of her head.

"Very well," he sighed, standing up, "I'll make the decision for you."

He strode past her without a second glance and was nearly out of sight when she called out. He stopped, miraculously and waiting for her to job up to where he was.

"Hermione Granger," she said, her cheeks flushed red as she held out a hand, she hoped he couldn't see shaking.

"Gerhard Grindelwald," he responded after a heart stopping few seconds, reaching out and grabbing her hand in a war calloused grip.

After which he let go, spun around and continued off leaving Hermione, flustered and staring at her hand.

Luna's second year was not going any better than her first, everything had gone missing within hours of arriving and her feet were cold. Soon though the hunt for Nargles consumed her and off she went skipping and humming until she came upon a curious sight. The boy with the bright hair was sitting on a lone staircase with a glass of water in one hand and book in the other, the staircase was moving from place to place as they often did and the boy didn't seem to mind.

"Excuse me," she called out from a landing below successfully getting his attention, "have you seen any Nargles?"

The staircase shuddered slightly and shifting its way to her landing and the boy only being on the third step up was soon right in front of her.

"Nargles?" he asked, his voice strangely soft boy she thought, or maybe just not used often.

"Yes, they infest certain areas and can befuddle small minds, I believe it's what was behind all the mess in the hall when you arrived," she sang, pretending not to notice his small smile.

"That would certainly account for such poor behaviour," Gerhard said, "yes I remember now, Nargles like to live in dense places full of people."

"Exactly," Luna squealed happily, "I'm so glad you remember."

His now close book vanished from his hand, along with the glass of water and after his eyes caught her bare feet, they narrowed and after a quick wave of his wand his shoes and socks disappeared too.

"Would you like some help tracking them down?" asked Gerhard, holding out his arm, "I suddenly find my schedule free."

"Well it would be wrong of me to turn down such a gentleman," said Luna, taking his arm and feeling truly happy for the first time since she returned to Hogwarts.

Ronald Bilius Weasley was not happy, especially as he had just been called his full name in front of everyone in his dormitory. After 'darkboy' his nickname for Gerhard had been sorted into Gryffindor, Ron had immediately sent a letter to his mother and father demanding they used whatever influence they have with the Ministry to reverse such an appalling decision. Ron had stalked around for weeks on edge, waiting for when the attack would come, when darkboy would show his true colours and live up to his namesake. Harry and Hermione were cautious but they would never understand, not being purebloods, the collective scar and shame the Grindelwald name had left on wizarding society. After a week Ron was pulling out his hair until he came down to the common room and Errol was waiting with a painfully red letter which was already smoking and before Ron could do anything it exploded and his Mother's voice reverberated painfully off the walls.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" it had begun and that was all Ron needed to know he was in huge trouble. Harry had heard the whole thing when he was coming down the stairs and nearly fell over laughing while Hermione had discreetly slipped past everyone in the confusion to go to the library. She goes there a lot these days, even more than usual Ron thought, before the piercing voice came back and soon Ron's face was as red as his hair.

Gerhard Grindelwald stood at the top of the Gryffindor tower, overlooking the castle and its ground, the cold wind biting any exposed flesh he had and his sigh was lost on the evening wind. His thirteenth year was turning out even more of a pain than he had possibly believed when the old fool had conned him into actually coming to school, reeling him in with talks about the future and how he would need official grading. Gerhard hand clenched so hard his knuckles turned white as he remembered the humiliation of standing in front of everyone and being chained and shackled, his magic boiled beneath his skin, begging to be released on them to show them how he didn't care.

He wasn't stupid, he knew attacking them only showed he did but lately controlling himself had gotten even harder, the long nights of studying ancient tomes and practising with Dumbledore just weren't enough anymore and he could admit that, perhaps even why he had agreed to come to a school. Several people despite being utterly terrified and one case of being utterly insane had come to speak with him and despite his cold shoulder and unforgiving stare they seemed to warm to him slightly.

He spun his wand in his hands, a long black wand with silver runes etched into its handles and large 'G' on its pommelled end, the hereditary wand of the Oldest and Sacred House of Grindelwald, to be passed to the male heir upon the death of the previous, no master in Dumbledore's storage but after he had taken Gerhard in the wand was his. Its power was true and ancient, he could feel it running into his blood, wanting to be used and the darker the magic, the better it worked.

With a final sigh Gerhard closed the window and made his way back down to his bed which to his utmost annoyance was beside a very loudly snoring red-head. Potter was the only one still awake and after giving him a quick nod, drew his curtains once again and cast a powerful silencing spell.


	2. Chapter 2 First Impressions

Gerhard was in the Gryffindor common room casually finishing his last several inches on how runes were to be used in conjunction with enchanting objects. His mind wondered back over his somewhat stormy time at Hogwarts.

The sky had cleared up and Gerhard squinted at the sun, his eyes watering slightly from the piercing light. His day had not improved the mood which had carried over from yesterday which left students avoiding him and corridors and having blocked seven tripping jinxes and four cutting charms just this morning. Arithmancy had been barely tolerable, the teacher all but ignoring him, which he preferred but the lack of interesting work was killing him, the third years were still on basic equations, while Gerhard had already been working on spell creation before his enrolment. Oddly the most irritating thing about the class was the bushy-brown-haired girl, Hermine, he thought he name kept peeking at him when she thought he wasn't looking, combined that with the fact it seemed contagious and everyone started doing it. He swore he would then on only sit towards the back of classes.

Transfiguration had been fascinating as Professor McGonagall was a master in her field and her flawless Animagus transformation was deserving of serious praise and yet when Gerhard raised his hands, he noticed everyone else was barely paying attention and felt disappointed that no one else felt the need to clap.

"What's the matter with you all?" she asked waspishly, "I've never not received a round of applause from a class before regarding my transformation."

"Sorry professor, we just came from Divination," a student Gerhard new nothing about spoke up.

McGonagall made a clucking noise with her tongue and proceeded to inform the class that someone called Treehorny predicted the death of a different student every year and Gerhard was glad he skipped it knowing his family history of seers was public knowledge and he felt no need to be singled out.

Who was it this year?" she asked the class.

"It was me Professor," sighed Harry in resignation.

'Well forgive me for informing you Mr. Potter but that will not excuse you from homework."

Gerhard marvelled at her ability to put people at ease as the whole class, Harry included laughed at her joke and Gerhard finally took a long look at Harry. Average height, average build, messy dark hair, glasses and no outstanding magical talent that he had so far seen and Gerhard wondered why Dumbledore thought so highly off him, certainly he seemed a nice enough guy but special wasn't something he would call him.

After the class ended Harry, Hermine and Percy left together to go and get lunch and Gerhard decided it would be great to go outside, which led to him taking a nap up a tree and waking up to the sounds of students passing by and looking down he saw Harry mouthing off at some blonde twerp who stood between two lumps of flesh that wouldn't have been turned away from a Halloween party. Sighing in disgust when they pulled up their hoods and pretended to be Dementors he slipped out his wand and decided it wouldn't be too harmful to have some fun and just as blondie was guffawing with his friends a pile of rotting leaves somehow felt the need to launch themselves onto his head.

Gerhard nearly fell out of the tree holding in the laughter at the look on the boys faces, like he had just been told he was to marry a Flobberworm and in his mirth he couldn't stop. The hood wrapped itself around his face, blondies pants fell down and he found himself with an embarrassingly large wedgie and somehow through all his laughter Harry had looked up and seen him in the tree and Gerhard with exaggerated innocence gestured him to look away.

Eventually the teacher returned, the boy who he now knew was called Talboy, was set right and Gerhard sighed at the fact that despite his fun Dumbledore would lecture him again about correct magical use and without further delay slapped a light disillusionment spell on himself and crept away, not staying long enough to hear Harry's whoops of joy or Talboy's screams of pain.

Meeting Luna that night had been great, he was surprised that someone so unfocused could have such a powerful aura around them, it spoke of great pain and yet a sense of innocence that after seeing her shoeless feet Gerhard couldn't help but try to preserve and they had stayed up many hours wondering aimlessly around the castle under the pretence of finding Nargles when in fact they had simply decided they wanted to be friends.

It was a few days after that, that the annoyingly stare-happy girl cornered him in the library and demanded friendship. He also found out her name was Hermione not Hermine, not that he would ever tell her that and he swore that he would do better with names though after Percy got his Howler later in the week only for him to find out he'd swapped him up with his brother and this boys name was Ron, Gerhard considered himself a lost cause with names. He felt even further dejected when the Headmaster had found the time to lecture him about using magic wisely that the boy, he was taunting was in fact called Malfoy not Talboy, Dumbledore had taken Gerhard's crestfallen look as guilt and promptly sent him on his way when in fact Gerhard was drowning in despair that he had made a terrible first impression.

Harry was furious, witless and fuming all at the same time, Snape being his majestic self, had seen fit to berate him, in potions, in front of the class, again. He was proud though, he had held it in, even as Snape had gone along the lines of Gryffindor, critiquing Neville harshly enough that he saw a small tear in the corner of his classmates' eye and along the rows until Snape had finally settled in front of Gerhard and then mysteriously without a word continued on to the Slytherins.

"Hey Gerhard," Harry said panting to catch up with the still suit bound boy, "how did you get Snape to ignore you like that?"

"I had finished my potion?" Gerhard replied, unsure of the line of questioning.

"No, I mean why didn't he berate you or tell you your worthless, like all the other Gryffindors?" Harry asked irritably.

"Because my potion was right?"

Harry threw his arms int the air and left muttering to himself, Gerhard stand there bewildered at their conversation and oblivious to everyone pointing and muttering at him for standing in the middle of the corridor, stayed there for ten minutes trying to work out what he'd done wrong.

Unable to come to a conclusion Gerhard walked to the next class with a deeply worried expression, hoping he hadn't offended Harry, if he did Dumbledore would be unhappy and that wouldn't be good for anyone. After getting to the door to the Défense Against the Dark Arts classroom just as Professor Lupin did, Gerhard noticed all the desk had been moved against a wall and wondered if today was a practical day.

"Good day class," called Lupin, smiling at everyone, "Gryffindors and Slytherins all pile in please up close now!"

Gerhard's eyes narrowed when he heard it was a boggart, an interesting way to level the class evenly, with everyone knowing every one's greatest fears and certainly a good way to introduce thirteen-year olds to dark creatures. Everyone in the class practiced the incantation _'Riddikulus'_ as the door to the wardrobe wobbled ominously and the young pudgy boy who Gerhard had been calling Weevil now known to him as Neville whispered about his fears of Professor Snape.

"Ahh yes he terrifies all," Lupin chuckled, "now I want you to do something."

Lupin leant down and whispered something in the boy's ear that made his eyes go wide.

"Really?" Neville exclaimed excitedly to Lupin's nod.

"Okay everyone, form a line, you too Mr Malfoy," Lupin shouted as platinum haired boy attempted to slink away.

Gerhard in all the bustle had somehow ended up in the middle between Harry in front of him and a girl who he could hear hyperventilating behind him. As the boggart was released and Snape ended up in women's clothing Gerhard couldn't keep a brief smile from his face at the amusing sight and it went from there to Ron, who made a giant spider get roller skates, then too a young girl who made her giant snake into a clown and then Harry stepped forward and before Lupin could rush in a skinny man in robes stood in front of harry and began to slowly peel off his turban.

"Here!" Lupin shouted jumping in front of Harry and the boggart turned into a small orb surrounded by mist, although under closer inspection looked more like a moon.

"Harry to the back quickly now," Lupin muttered shuffling a shell-shocked Harry, "Gerhard step forward."

Gerhard had forgotten he was next and as he stepped forwards to the moon, he could feel the light touch on his mind as the boggart dived for his deepest fears. He wondered if he actually still feared anything but fear itself. It having deserted him long ago in the dark places he only visited in his dreams, but fear was not something he felt anymore.

Suddenly the boggart began shifting and swirling and Gerhard actually felt himself grinning as he palmed his wand, not everyday one gets to face their own demons. His trail of thought was cut off as he stared at what was before him, Gerhard suddenly felt his chest constrict and a feeling he hadn't felt in years creep into his veins.

Gellert Grindelwald stood in front of him, the black suit, his flowing coat, his near white hair perfectly held in place. Gerhard could hear the gasps of the students behind him as Lupin was about to leap forward again to interfere.

"You are nothing," Boggart-Gellert whispered, his tone as silky as the man himself, "a weak boy playing pretend, a traitor to his name."

"I know the words burned into you, I know you secret, I know…" the Boggart-Gellert relentlessly hurled these things at Gerhard.

"Riddikulus," whispered Gerhard, his voice steadier than his hand.

The boggart collapsed as huge iron chain leapt from the ground and bound its wrists, dragging it to the floor, its beautiful clothes tore and wore to nothing but rags and its hair fell out and face grew sagged and grey. It stared up at Gerhard with lifeless eyes almost pleading.

"Do you think your chains can hold me?" it croaked out.

"But you lost," said Gerhard, his voice still barely a whisper, "and I will laugh until the end of time knowing that you have to sit and watch as everything you did to the world fades to nothing."

Lupin knowing that none other than he heard that last line from Gerhard, frowned as the boy turned tail and left the classroom, people scattering in his wake and frowned even more so when the boggart began to cry and thrash around, as though driven insane.

Hermione was still shaking even as Ron rubbed her shoulders and Harry told her everything would be okay. She hadn't been able to face her boggart when it had turned into McGonagall and told her she had failed everything and would be expelled. Her friends hadn't even joked about it as they knew how much it scared her that such a future would come to pass. Hermione could barely find it within herself to console Harry about having to see Quirrell again, she could see the haunted look in his eyes but was bolstered by Ron's continued spot at Harry's side making crappy jokes left and right. Hermione smiled and felt warmed by his demeanour, even though just minutes ago he himself had been terrified he still tried to cheer everyone up, it honestly made him a great person and an even better friend.

"You okay Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I should be asking you that," Hermione laughing shakily, "I mean that was some lesson."

"You're telling me," Ron interjected, "Lupin knows his stuff but jeez did you expect Malfoy's greatest fear to be his dad telling him he's adopted?"

They all laughed and felt themselves warm up but something nagged the back of her mine and once again it was Gerhard. She had seen photo's of Gellert Grindelwald in many books and articles but to see him in the flesh was terrifying but to know his grandfather was Gerhard's greatest fear was somehow odd. His grandfather had been locked up in Nurmengard since his defeat by Dumbledore, even more so she knew this by how the boggart had changed into a form that she assumed he looked like now.

"What's on your mind?" Ron asked her and he and Harry helped her up and the trio walked to the hall for lunch.

"Nothing really just Gerhard and his boggart," she said mind still whizzing around, "I mean it doesn't make any sense."

"Honestly I think not wanting to grow up to be a tyrannical dictator is a good thing," Harry added.

"But for it to be your greatest fear?"

All three of them were so deep in their own thoughts on the matter they didn't even notice that Gerhard hadn't showed up for lunch, Hermione only noticed that he wasn't in her Ancient Runes class and then later that night both Harry and Ron found his bed empty.

Gerhard was gone.

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